Card holder



R. J. LAKATOS Jan. 12, 9354 CARD HoLDE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed April 4, 1951 INVENTOR. F0267; Jld%df BY- I 5W w 3 array/v17.

Patented Jan. 12, 1954 CARD HOLDER Robert J. Lakatos, Detroit, Mich. Application April 4, 1951, Serial No. 219,289

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device for conveniently holding a large number of playing cards in a spread or fan shaped arrangement whereby the individual cards may be readily observed while being retained in an assembled arrangement that permits their ready removal either singly or collectively. This device is particularly designed to hold hands of canasta, or like games, where at times the player may be required to hold a very large number of cards for a relatively long period of time. The task of trying to hold a large number of cards in an arrangement where all the cards may be readily observed often becomes so arduous that it may detract from the pleasure of the particular game being played.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a card holding device that may either be conveniently held by a single hand of the player or supported in a mating support or rack member in the event the player should not desire to retain the card holder in his hand.

t is another object of this invention to provide a card holder that will securely support a large number of cards in a properly displayed fashion and also permit the ready removal of one or more of the cards without disturbing the. other cards in the holder.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a card holder and a supporting rack for the holder that are relatively simple in construction, strong and durable, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. and most appealing in appearance.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a very lightweight card holder that is formed to readily fit the hand of the player or to be supported in an erect position by a mating rack member.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from a review or" the attached specification and a consideration of the related drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the card holder device ith the cards mounted in the holder being shown in broken lines;

2 is a sectional elevational view taken along the i is 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. is-a sectional elevational view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in sectional elevation of the jointed connection be-- tween the front base portion of the card holder and the card retaining finger piece, this view being taken from Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the rack member utilized to support the card holder;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional elevational view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the card holder shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-7 that is somewhat simpler in construc tion and adapted to permit a substitution of materials in certain of the elements or the holder; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The card holder shown in Figs. 1-4 and 7 comprises three major elements that are assembled into a unit. These elements are the rear support plate ll of substantially .l-shaped cross sectional configuration (see Fig. 2), the front sup port plate it, also of substantially J-shaped cross sectional configuration and the plate-like as-- sembly E3 of card retaining resilient fingers 15. The front and rear support plates ll, ii are arranged in opposed relationship and their lower bent ends connected together. The linger assembly i3 is mounted on the front support plate i2 and arranged such that the free ends it of the individual fingers it normally bear against the front side it of the rear support plate i i. With the general arrangement hereinabove described it is possible to mount a large number of cards 2% between the free ends it of the spring fingers l5 and the adjacent front side it of the rear support plate H.

The rear support plate ii is of more or less fan shaped outline and has a stiffening boss 2! extending across its upper portion and arranged to project from the rear side thereof. Boss 2i is arranged so that it is more or less concentric with the upper edge 22 of the rear support plate 1 I Punched out of the lower portion of the rear support plate H are a plurality of forwardly extending card supporting flanges 23. The card supporting flanges 23 are arranged to be more or less concentric with respect to the upper edge 22 of the plate H and are spaced close enough together to support the lower edges of the cards 2d. Also punched out of the lower portion of the rear support plate ll adjacent each. side edge thereof are a pair of downwardly opening cleats 25. The cleats 25 are each adapted to receive one end of a C-shape'd spring element 2% that is utilized to hold the front and rear support plates ii, [2 in assembled relationship. Located centrally of the length of the rear support ii and positioned in the lower portion thereof adjacent the bent lower edge of the plate ii is an opening 21. The opening 2'! is adapted to receive a positioning finger 35 carried by the holder rack or supporting stand 34 that will be presently described. The free edge 28 of lower bent portion 22 of rear support plate H is reversely bent to provide an upstanding lower flange portion. Adjacent each end of the flange 28 there is provided a longitudinally extending slot formation 30 that is adapted to receive a finger-like projection carried by the front support plate 62. Each side edge of the rear support plate H has a forwardly projecting flange 32 extending along its upper portion. Flanges 32 serve as side supports to assist in retaining the cards 26 erect in their arranged positions against the front face of the rear support plate H.

The front support plate l2 has its upper edge All shaped so that it is more or less concentric with the upper edge 22 of the rear support plate. The longitudinally extending mid-portion of the front sup-port plate I2 is reversely bent upon itself to provide a substantially S-shaped formation composed of the superimposed portions 42, 43 and it respectively. A space is left between the portions Z2 and 43 which space is adapted to receive the base portion or lower edge portion 51 of the finger assembly 43. The lower portion of the front support plate 12, adjacent each end thereof has a cleat 45 formed therein. The cleats 45 in front support plate [2 are similar to and aligned with the cleats 25 formed in the rear support plate H. As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the C-shaped spring clips 28 are anchored in and extend between the opposed cleats 25, 45 so that the front and rear support plates I I, 12 are continuously urged towards one another and held in assembled relationship. The free edge 46 of the lower bent portion A! of the front support plate 12 is bent so as to extend substantially vertically and abut the flange portion 28 of the rear support plate H. At the portions of the front support plate lower flange 46 that are adjacent the slots 30 in the rear support lower flange 28, the front support plate flange 48 is provided with rearwardly extending fingers 49. Fingers 4e are adapted to matingly engage the slots 30 in the flange 28 of the rear support plate l l to prevent relative movement between the support plates H, i 2.

The resilient spring finger assembly-l3 that is rigidly mounted in the folded joint portions .2, lit of the front support plate 12 is preferably formed from a continuous length of spring wire 50. The wire 50 is bent back and forth upon itself to provide a substantially fan-shaped assembly having a substantially straight lower edge 53 that fits in the folded joint 42, A3 and a curvedupper ed e 52 that is concentric with the open ed e 22 of the rear support plate H. As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the upper ends i l of the several sprin fin ers of the assembly l3 are bent outwardlv to provide a rounded portion to enga e the car 29 and facilitate the card insertion and removal between the fingers i5 and the rear sup ort plate H.

The su ort or rack member 34 that is adapted to sunnnrt the card ho der is for ed from a sub-- stantially S-shaped piece of metal or the like. Back 3 3 comprises spaced flange portions 36, 3'! and 38 that are connected by bent bight portions 39 and 49 respectively. The upwardly opening U-shaped s ace between the flange portions 38, 3! receives the lower rounded end portions of the card holder device. As previously mentioned, the rack portion 31 has a forwardly protruding finger 35 that is adapted to seat in the slot 2] formed in the lower portion of the rear support plate H. Finger 35 prevents relative movement between the card holder and its supporting rack member when these two members are arranged in assembled relationship. The flange portion 38 provides a leg to support the rack in upright position. The free end of the flange portion 38 may be rolled upwardly a bit, as shown at 38a, to provide a rounded support for the rear end of the rack 34. It will thus be seen that the rack is firmly supported by the two rounded spaced apart, portions 38a, 39 so that there is little danger of the support scratching the surface on which it rests.

The modified form of card holder shown in Figs. 8 and 9 differs from the form shown in Figs. 1-4 and '7 in two respects. First, the rear support plate I l and the front support plate i la in the Fig. 9 form are a single sheet of material of more or less J-shaped cross sectional configuration. With such a unitary construction the cleats 25, $5 and connecting clips 26 of the Figs. 1-4 form of the invention can be eliminated. Also, the interconnecting flanges 28, :26 at the lower ends of the front and rear support plates of the Figs. 1-4 form can be eliminated in this form of the invention. It is thought to be obvious that the Figs. 8 and 9 construction is simpler and less expensive to manufacture than the other form of card holder shown in Figs 1-4. The second distinction between the two forms of the invention resides in the plate-like spring finger assembly I3. Assembly i3 is stamped out of a sheet of material that is of the proper composition to provide resilient finger elements 55. The finger elements are nothing more than spaced strips of metal that are connected together at their lower ends by a base portion 5! that is adapted to be clenched between the portions 32, 43 of the fold in the front support plate portion I la. All other portions of the two forms of the invention are the same and identical reference numerals have been assigned to like elements.

I claim:

1. A card holder comprising a support member of substantially J -shaped cross-sectional configuration formed from a pair of connected front and rear support plates, each support plate being of substantially J-shaped cross sectional configuration and arranged in opposed relationship to the other plate with the bent ends of the plates ongaged by interlocking tongue and slot connections, resilient means connected between said support plates urging them together, said front support plate having the upper edge thereof spaced forwardly of and beneath the upper edge of the rear support plate, said rear support plate having a stiffening boss extending longitudinally across the upper portion thereof and a plurality of forwardly extending shelf portions along its lower end portion adapted to support the lower edges of the cards mounted on the holder, said front support plate having the upper portion thereof reversely bent upon itself to provide an integral, upwardly opening, Ll-shaped joint, and a card retaining assembly having a base portion clampingly mounted in the U-shaped joint of the front support plate, said base portion having a plurality of spaced, resilient, finger elements projecting upwardly from said baseportion towards the front side of said rear support plate.

2. A card lder com risin a sup ort member of substantially J-shaped cros -sectional configuration formed from a pair of connected front and rear support plates, each support plate being of substantially J-shaped cross sectional configuration and arranged in opposed relationship to the other plate with the bent ends of the plates engaged, resilient means connected between said support plates urging them together, said front support plate having the upper edge thereof spaced forwardly of and beneath the upper edge of the rear support plate, said rear support plate having a plurality of forwardly extending shelf portions along its lower end portion adapted to support the lower edges of the cards mounted on the holder, said front support plate having the upper portion thereof reversely bent upon itself to provide an integral, upwardly opening, U- shaped joint, and a card retaining assembly having a base portion elampingly mounted in the U-shaped joint of the front support plate said base portion having a plurality of spaced, resilient, finger elements projecting upwardly from said base portion towards the front side of said rear support plate.

3. In combination, a card holder comprising a support member of substantially J-shaped crosssectional configuration formed from a pair of connected front and rear support plates, each support plate being of substantially J-shaped cross sectional configuration and arranged in opposed relationship to the other plate with the bent ends of the plates engaged by interlocking tongue and slot connections, resilient means connected between the lower ends of said support plates urging them together, said front support plate having the upper edge thereof spaced forwardly of and beneath the upper edge of the rear support plate, said rear support plate having a stiffening boss extending longitudinally across the upper portion thereof and a plurality of forwardly extending shelf portions along its lower end portion adapted to support the lower edges of the cards mounted on the holder, said front support plate having the upper portion thereof reversely bent upon itself to provide an integral, upwardly opening, U-shaped joint, a card retaining assembly having a base portion clampingly mounted in the U-shaped joint of the front support plate and mounting a plurality of spaced, resilient, finger elements formed from a wire element sinuously bent to provide card retaining fingers that project upwardly from said base portion towards the front side of said rear support plate- ROBERT J. LAKATOS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 619,960 Hustedt Feb. 21, 1899 2,231,637 Ramos Feb. 11, 1M1

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 107,597 Great Britain July 2, 1918 758,762 France Jan. 23, 1934 

